Max Lucado Daily: TO HEAR THE APPLAUSE OF HEAVEN
The Beatitudes end with this compelling promise— “Great is your reward in heaven!” (Matthew 5:12).
The Book of Revelation could be called the Book of Homecoming. In Revelation 21 verse 2, John describes heaven as a “bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” Verse 4 says “there will be no more death.” The most hopeful words are in verse 5 , “I am making everything new.” The Master Builder will pull out the original plan and restore the vigor, the energy, the hope, and the soul.
Each step you take brings you closer to home. Before you know it, you’ll enter the City. You’ll hear your name spoken by those who love you. And maybe, just maybe—in the back, behind the crowds—the One who would rather die than live without you will remove his pierced hands from his heavenly robe and…applaud.
Read more Applause of Heaven
Acts 4:23-37
As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and religious leaders had said. Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer: “Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our father, David:
Why the big noise, nations?
Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth’s leaders push for position,
Potentates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers!
27-28 “For in fact they did meet—Herod and Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples, even Israel itself!—met in this very city to plot against your holy Son Jesus, the One you made Messiah, to carry out the plans you long ago set in motion.
29-30 “And now they’re at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence.
32-33 The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.
34-35 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.
36-37 Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, May 31, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
When you happen on someone who’s in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don’t look the other way pretending you don’t see him. Don’t keep a tight grip on your purse. No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs. Don’t count the cost. Don’t listen to that selfish voice saying, “It’s almost the seventh year, the year of All-Debts-Are-Canceled,” and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He’ll call God’s attention to you and your blatant sin.
10-11 Give freely and spontaneously. Don’t have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God’s, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors.
Insight
God’s decree to Israel to care for the poor in their midst was represented by a trio of the poorest of the poor—widows, orphans, and aliens. Because the Israelites were blessed with material prosperity, they were commanded to share with the economically vulnerable (Deuteronomy 16:9–12; 26:8–11). Part of the command to be generous included allowing the poor to feed on their lands under the law of gleanings (Leviticus 19:9–10; Deuteronomy 24:19–21). They were also to set aside a tenth of their harvests every third year as part of their social responsibility “so that [the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow] may eat in your towns and be satisfied” (Deuteronomy 26:12).
Here for You
I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
Deuteronomy 15:11
On the outskirts of Paris, as in other cities around the globe, people are coming to the aid of the homeless in their communities. Clothing, covered in waterproof bags, is hung on designated fences for those living on the streets to take according to their needs. The bags are labeled, “I’m not lost; I’m for you if you’re cold.” The effort not only warms those without shelter, but also teaches those in the community the importance of assisting the needy among them.
The Bible highlights the importance of caring for those who are poor, instructing us to be “openhanded” toward them (Deuteronomy 15:11). We might be tempted to avert our eyes to the plight of the poor, holding tightly to our resources instead of sharing them. Yet God challenges us to recognize that we will always be surrounded by those who have needs and therefore to respond to them with generosity, not a “grudging heart” (v. 10). Jesus says that in giving to the poor we receive an enduring treasure in heaven (Luke 12:33).
Our generosity may not be recognized by anyone other than God. Yet when we give freely, we not only meet the needs of those around us but we also experience the joy God intends for us in providing for others. Help us, Lord, to have open eyes and open hands to supply the needs of those You place in our paths! By Kirsten Holmberg
Reflect & Pray
Are you holding too tightly to your resources? If yes, why? What need can you fill today?
Generosity displays confidence in God’s loving and faithful provision.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, May 31, 2019
Put God First
Jesus did not commit Himself to them…for He knew what was in man. —John 2:24-25
Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God.
Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9).
A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “…tarry…until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere.
Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5).
God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The life of Abraham is an illustration of two things: of unreserved surrender to God, and of God’s complete possession of a child of His for His own highest end. Not Knowing Whither, 901 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, May 31, 2019
Speeding by the Cross - #8450
We were speeding along the interstate in Texas, and suddenly there it was - a huge, illuminated metal cross. It just dominated the landscape, especially on the flatlands of Texas. That cross is actually 19 stories high and it can be seen from 20 miles away. They claim it's the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. We've been by there before, but this was the first time we ever stopped and looked at it more closely.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Speeding by the Cross."
We had been like most people, we'd never stopped to check it out. As impressive as that cross is, most folks just speed right by it, which is okay with that cross. But it's dangerous to do that with the cross - the one where Jesus died to pay for every wrong thing you and I have ever done.
But for all its eternal importance in determining our heaven or our hell, too many of us just glance briefly at Jesus' death on the cross, think it's nice, and drive on by. Maybe you've made many stops on your life-journey, looking for that spiritual or emotional fill-up that would satisfy your soul. But nothing ever has: none of those relationships, none of those accomplishments, none of your religious or spiritual experiences. So you keep speeding along on your journey, looking for a better place to stop, maybe driving right by the only place where your lifelong search will end.
In our word for today from the Word of God in Mark 15:39, we see what a life-changing thing it can be to stand at Jesus' cross. The man we're about to read about was a Roman officer. He was the man actually in charge of the execution of the Son of God. But before this day ends, this hardened executioner has a dramatic change of heart. Let me just tell you what the Bible says, "When the centurion who stood there in front of Jesus...saw how He died, he said, 'Surely this man was the Son of God!'"
What happened here? This man comes to this hill to execute Jesus and apparently leaves believing in Jesus. What in the world! What was it about "how He died" that changed this man's heart? It had to be the things Jesus said from that cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they're doing" ... "Today," He said to a thief next to him "you will be with Me in paradise." Just before His last breaths he said "It is finished!" Jesus was forgiving the very people who were responsible for Him being on that cross. In a very real way, that's me - that's you. Because it was our sins that Jesus went there to pay for. And now He can say to anyone who puts their trust in Him, "You will be with Me in paradise. I'm taking you to heaven with Me!"
Maybe you've never stopped at the cross. You know about it, maybe you think it's nice. It might be part of your religious beliefs, but you've never stopped there to make your peace with God. Would you stop today finally? maybe right now right where you are tell Him, "Jesus, I get it now. Some of those sins you were dying for there were the things that I've done. You died for me and I've never responded. Jesus, I'm going to give you today what you died for. I'm giving You me."
Now, you want to begin that relationship with Him, reach out to Him? Do it right now. Just say, "Jesus, I'm Yours."
I would love to help you cross that finish line into beginning that relationship with Him and that's why I'm inviting you to our website, ANewStory.com. It could begin for you today, your new story. Please go to ANewStory.com. A lot of people have gone there and come away knowing they belong to Jesus.
There's so many miles you've traveled, and maybe so many times you've breezed by the Son of God who died for you. But this is your day to stop and experience for yourself what Jesus died on the cross to give you. I can tell you this, you will never be the same.